Wednesday, July 5, 2017

I know many of you must have guessed from the name of this dish that it is a heirloom recipe.

Yes, you are absolutely right. It is a family recipe and my mother makes it very often . 'Thunukku/Kunukku' means 'small pieces ' and is usually referred to shapeless small pieces of fried snacks.

I have used basic Mor Kuzhambu recipe for making the gravy. For the thunukku, grind the batter with only a few drops of water. The batter has to be stiff and coarse to get the right texture ( very crispy) or else, it will become vadai( softer). I have earlier shared the Vadai Mor Kuzhambu recipe with you all. You can refer to that post for stepwise pictures.

Add the thunukku just five minutes before you serve the kuzhambu . Tastes great with hot rice and a teaspoon of melted ghee.

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs. Praba Ramarathinam

Thunukku Mor Kuzhambu Recipe :

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

1 cup = 250 ml cup

Ingredients :

To soak and grind ( soak for 15 minutes) :

1/3 cup fresh coconut ( chopped)

2 teaspoons roasted gram/pottu kadalai

1&1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds/jeera

1-2 green chillies ( adjust)

Other ingredients :

2 cups curd ( whisked)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

For the vadai / thunukku :

1/2 cup channa dal/ bengal gram

3-4 dry red chillies

pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

oil to fry

For tempering :

2 teaspoons coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves ( roughly torn)

Method :

1. Grind all the ingredients given under ' to soak and grind' along with 1/4 cup water into a thick paste and set it aside.

2. Soak the channa dal along with dry red chillies for 30 minutes and grind it coarsely , just adding few drops of water.

3. Transfer it to a bowl, add salt and mix well.

4. Heat oil in a kadai/wok/pan and when the oil is hot, drop small portions of the batter into the oil.